Corn-planter.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

W. s. GRAHAM.

00m PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1903.

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CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1903.

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ATENT Patented June 16, 1903.

FFICEQ WILLIAM S. GRAHAM, OF CANTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PARLIN & ORENDORFF COMPANY, OF CANTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.'

sPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,355, dated June 16, 1903.

Application filed March 20, 1903. Serial No. 148,790. on model.)

To a7], whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. GRAHAM, of the city of Canton, county of Fulton, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides means whereby a closed seedbox-bottom may be opened at intervals to drop from a continuously-rotating seed -plate therein the precise number of grains required in a hill.

One object of the invention is to provide for opening the seedbox by motion derived from a cam mounted loosely on the drill-shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide for giving general control of the boxopening mechanism to a springretracted check-row shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide for reducing the number of cells in the seed-plate, so as to drop fewer grainsin a hill, without disturbing the timing which is necessary to get accurate results.

Still other minor objects will appear from the detailed description.

The invention is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of so much of the dropping mechanism of a seedbox as is needed to explain my invention. Fig. 2 is an e1cva-- tion of the box-opening cam, showing the side farthest from the seedbox. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the drive-pinion for the seed-Wheel,

. showing a ratchet-wheel on the back face tom. A lug 6 extends outward from the boxbottom, an arm 7 is pivoted on pin 6 in lug 6, and one end of arm 7 carries the closureplate 8 for the discharge-opening. The 010 sure-plate is preferably provided with 2. lug or extension 9, which rides in a depression 5 of the box-bottom and holds the upper side of the plate fiush with the box-bottom, and the arm swings on its pivot to open and close the discharge to the passage of corn from cells 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the closureplate 8 extends under the path of the cells of the seed-plate and prevents the grains in the cells from falling through the discharge-opening; but when the closure-plate is moved toward the center of the seedbox-bottom, the seed in the cells will be free to fall through opening at.

The gear-ring 2 is driven by pinion 13, which is fastened onto drill-shaft 20, and a ratchet-wheel 14: is in this instance formed on the outer face of the pinion. A cam-wheel 15 is journaled loosely on the drill-shaft opposite the ratchet-wheel l4 and it has notches 15, the sides 15 of which form inclines to force the outer end of arm 7 away from the. drill-shaft and open the closure for the seedboX-bottom. The cam-wheel has a cam-ring 16on its face nearest theratchet-wheel for a purpose that will hereinafter appear. Apawl 17 is pivoted on the cam-wheel at 17. The pivot-point is eccentric with the canrwheel and midway between the ends 17 of the pawl. A stud 18 projects laterally from one end of pawl 17. It is adapted to engage a tooth 0t ratchet-wheel 14 when the pawl is swung in the proper direction, and spring 29 tends to force the pawl in the proper direction to bring the stud into engagement with the ratchetwheel. i

The check-row shaft 22 has a clip 23, to which finger 25 is pivotally connected at 24. A stop extension 26 prevents swing of the fingeron its pivot in an upward direction beyond a certain point, and spring 28 yieldingly resists swing of the finger on pivot 2% in the contrary direction. A pin 27 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4) projects laterally from the swinging end of finger 25 and into the path of the ends 17 of pawl 17.

The cam-ring 16 has inclines 16, one adjacent and opposed to each of the ends of pawl 17. When the spring 29 is permitted to act, the ends of the pawl closely approach the inclines 16 of the cam-ring in act of moving ICO the stud 18 into engagement with the ratchetwheel; but whenever opportunity offers for the finger 25 to assume the position shown in Fig. t-the pin 27 will separate the ends of the pawl 17 from inclines 16 and carry stud 18 clear of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel.

The shaft 20 is usually called a drillshaft. It is the shaft commonly used to take motion from the covering-wheels of a planter and transmit it to the seed-plates, and in this instance it may rotate continuously while the planter is in use. The shaft 22 belongs to the common class of rocking check-row shafts to which motion is imparted in one direction by a check-row knot and in the other direction by a retracting-spring. Its characteristics, like those of shaft 20, are too well known to require special illustration.

Ordinarily the cam-wheel l maintains the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, and the spring 12 holds the outer end of the closure-arm 7 in a cam-notch while the closure-plate 8 extends under the cells of the seed-plate and closes the box-bottom against discharge of seed. So long as the check-row shaft is undisturbed the seed-plate will carry the grains contained in its cells around on the closed bottom but as soon as the check-row shaft is rocked backward far enough to carry pin 27 of finger 25 clear of the cam-ring conditions are established that ultimately result in the opening of the seedbox-bottom and the discharge therethrough of the number of grains required in a hill. The first effect of the swinging of pin 27 clear of the cam-ring is to permit spring 29 to force the stud 18 into the path of the continuously revolving ratchet-teeth, and as soon as a ratchet-tooth encounters the stud of the pawl the camwheel will be forced to rotate, with the drillshaft. An incline 15 will force the outer end 7 of the closure-arm outward, thereby opening the discharge-passage, and the passage-way will be held open until the camwheelhas madeaone-halfrotation. Assoon as the retracting-spring of the check-row shaft can return the shaft to its normal position the pin 27-will be in position to intercept the extended ends of the pawl 17, and when the J semirotation of the cam-wheel is completed the pin will engage one end or the other of the pawl, and by pressing the end of the pawl away from an incline 16 of the cam-ring 16 will force the stud 18 out of the path of the ratchet-teeth. The spring 28 permits the .finger 25 to swing downward while pin 27 is riding up the rise on cam-ring 16, and the tension thus developed is utilized in swinging the pawl out of touch with the ratchetwheel. The number of teeth in the ratchetwheel corresponds operatively with the number of cells in the seed-plate. In this particular instance the seed-plate makesa quarter-rotation, while the drill-shaft makes a half rotation. The ratchetwheel travels twice as fast as the seed-plate and has onehalf as many teeth as the seed-plate has cells.

The result is the same asif the ratchet-wheel traveled at the same speed as the seed-plate and had as many teeth as the seed-plate has cells, and that is the condition desired. In this particular instance the seed-plate is intended to drop a hill of corn in making a onefourth rotation, or, in other words, the seedplate is divided theoretically into four hillspaces; butit is not impossible to provide for dropping a hill from a one-third or one-fifth rotation of theseed-plate, the drive-gearing and box-opening mechanism being properly timed to correspond with the rotation of the plate. To secure accurate dropping, the seedbox-closure must open just in front of one cell or under the cell and it must close immediately after the last cell of a hill-space has passed. This result is attained by timing the ratchet-wheel so that the teeth thereof will maintain proper correlations with the cells of the seed-plate. When the rocking of the check-row shaft permits the pawl 17 to swing into touch with the ratchet-wheel, the stud 18 may be immediately in front of a ratchettooth, it maybe directly behind a tooth, or it may occupy an intermediate position be tween two teeth. If the stud should touch the ratchet-wheel out of engagement with a tooth thereof, the pawl will rest until the ratchet-wheel travels far enough to bring a tooth into contact with the stud, and then the seed-plate and the box-opening cam will rotate together in proper time to discharge the precise number of'grains required in a hill before the cam-wheel presents a releasing-notch to the box-closure arm. While the seed-plate timed as in this instance will always make a one-fourth rotation while the box-closure is swung open, there is no telling what particular cells will be called on to deliver a hill. The knots on the check-row wire actuate the check-row shaft at times over which the dropping-gear of the planter has no control, and the pawl 17 may therefore fall into engagement with any tooth of the ratchet-wheel and begin the dropping of a hill from any cell of the seed-plate.

Three grains of corn usually constitute a hill, but in some localities two grains are considered sufiicient. In seed-plates driven the same definite partial rotation while depositing a hill or in which the deposit of a hill always begins at certain points in the rotation of the plate the number of cells in a theoretical division of the seed-plate may be readily varied by simply reducing the number of cells and placing them equal distances apart; but the conditions set forth in the paragraph next preceding demands a different arrangement. To meet this demand, I have devised the plan of stopping off or omitting certain cells in a maximum cell-plate and leaving the remaining cells with their spaces unchanged. In Fig. 5 of the drawings a three-grain plate has been converted into a two-grain plate by omitting one-third of the cells at regular intervals, and the operation thereof is illustrated by brackets A, B, and O. The discharge of a hill from the seedbox may begin with the first of a pair of cells, as indicated by bracket A; it may begin immediately in the rear of a pair'of cells, as shown by bracket 13, or it may begin between two cells, as shown by bracket C. In this case the timing 'of the box-opening mechanism is effected the same as with a three-grain plate, and two grains are dropped at each operation, no

. matter at what point with relation to the seed-plate the box is opened.

cells, timing the plate to cooperate properly and connected with hook 11 of arm 7.

case have but one notch. 45

with the box-opening mechanism, and reducing the dropping capacity of the plate by omitting cells at intervals without disturbing the correlations of the remaining cells. In practice diflerent plates will be provided for dropping different-size hills. In this case the ratchet-wheel is attached to the drill-shaft through the drive-pinion; but that is a matter of convenience merely. It is essential that the ratchet-wheel shall rotate with the drill-shaft; but it is immaterial how or where the connection with the shaft is made.

When it is desired to use the planter as a drill, spring 12 is disconnected from hook 10 The closure-plate 8 is thus held out of the way of the passage of corn from the cells, and the grains fall as fast as they are presented to the discharge-opening.

It is preferable to give the cam-wheel a one-half rotation while dropping a hill of corn from the seedbox; but it is obvious that if the pinion ran four times as fast as the seedplate the cam-wheel could make a complete rotation at each operation and would in that It is essential that the cam-Wheel shall travel the distance between relieving-notches While the seed-plate is dropping a hill; but the means for getting that motion is immaterial and a matter of mechanical skill.

Iclaim- 1. In a planter having a closable dischargeopening in the seedbox to prevent the discharge of seed from the seed-plate, the combination of a seed-plate adapted to rotate on the box-bottom, a drill-shaft, gearing connecting the drill-shaft with the seed-plate, boxopening mechanism tending to automatically engage the drill-shaft, check-row mechanism, and means controlled by the check-row mechanism for holding the box-opening mechanism out of engagement with the drill-shaft.

2. In a planter, the combination of a seedboX, check-row mechanism, a drill-shaft, a bottom for the seedbox having a discharge opening, a closure for the discharge-opening of the seedbox, a seed-plate on the boX-bottom having cells adapted to pass over the discharge-opening, gearing connecting the seedplate with the drill-shaft, a box-opening wheel journaled loosely on the drill-shaft, means for connecting the box-opening wheel with the drill-shaft,and means controlled by the checkrow mechanism for holding the box-opening wheel disconnected from the drill-shaft.

3. In a planter, the combination of a seedboX, a check-row shaft, a drillshaft, a bottom for the seedbox having a discharge-opening, a closure for the discharge-opening of the seedbox, a seed-plate on the box-bottom having cells adapted to pass over thedischargeopening, gearing connecting the seed-plate with the drill-shaft, a ratchet-wheel'fixed onto the drill-shaft and provided with teeth corresponding to the cells of the seed-plate, a box-opening cam-wheel journaled loosely on the drill-shaft, a pawl on the cam-wheel adapted to engage the ratchet-Wheel, and means controlled by the check-row shaft for holding the pawl out of touch with the ratchetwheel.

4. In a planter, the combination of a seedbox, a check-row shaft, a drill-shaft, a bottom for the seedbox having a discharge-opening, a closure for the discharge-opening of the seedbox, a seed-plate on the box-bottom having cells adapted to pass over the dischargeopening, gearing connecting the seed-plate with the drill-shaft, a ratchet-Wheel fixed onto the drill-shaft and provided with teeth. corresponding to the cells of the seed-plate, a boxopening cam-Wheel journaled loosely on the drill-shaft, a pawl on the cam-wheel adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel, anda finger on the check-rowshaft normallyholding the pawl out of touch with the ratchet-wheel.

5. In a planter, the combination of a seedbox, a check-row shaft, a drill-shaft, a bottom for the seedbox having a discharge-opening, a closure for the discharge-opening of the seedbox, a seed-plate on the box-bottom having cells adapted to pass over the discharge-opening, gearing connecting the seed plate with the drill-shaft, a ratchet-wheel fixed onto the drillshaft and provided with teeth corresponding to the cells of the seedplate, a box-opening cam-wheel journaled loosely on the drill-shaft, a pawl on the camwheel adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel, and a yielding finger on the check-row shaft normally holding the pawl out of touch with the ratchet-wheel.

6. In a planter, the combination of a seedbox, a check-row shaft, a drill-shaft, a bottom for the seedbox having a discharge-opening, an arm pivoted horizontally under the boX, a closure for the seed-discharge on an end of the arm, a seed-plate on the box-bottom having cells adapted to pass over the discharge-opening, gearing connecting the seedplate with the drill-shaft, a cam-wheel journaled loosely on the drill-shaft in contact with the box-opening arm, a spring tending to hold the arm in a box-closing position, cam-surfaces on the cam-wheel adapted to force the arm to a box-opening position and hold it there during a partial rotation of the seed plate, means tending to automatically connect the cam-wheel with the drill-shaft, and means controlled by the check-row shaft for holding the cam-wheel out of engagement with the drillshaft.

7. In a planter adapted to open the discharge of a normally closed seedbox in time with either of the cells of a maximum-grainhill-drop seed-plate and to close the box when a certain number of cells have discharged their grains, aseed-plate for cumulative dropping of less than the maximum number of grains required in a hill, such plate having the maximum number of cell-spaces arranged in regular order and some of the spaces being blank, or Without cells.

8. In a cumulative drop-planter adapted to open the discharge of a normally closed seedbox in time with either of the cells of amaximunrgrain-hill-drop seed-plate and to close the box when a certain number of cells have discharged their grains, a seed-plate for droppingless than the maximum number of grains required in a hill, such plate having the maximum number of cell-spaces arranged in regular order and having cells omitted from some of the spaces at regular intervals.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. S. GRAHAM.

Witnesses: I

R. A. HALL, W. F. Moonn. 

